The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Known engine operation includes delivering fuel and air to combustion chambers, igniting the corresponding mixture, and transferring pressure generated by the ignited mixture to a crankshaft via a moveable piston. Engine control parameters include fuel mass and injection timing, spark ignition timing in spark ignition engines, phasing, magnitude and duration of engine valve opening and closing, residual gas fraction, and others. Known engine control schemes include monitoring engine operation and controlling engine control parameters to achieve preferred targets for in-cylinder pressure, engine torque, specific fuel consumption, and emissions while responding to operator demands. One known engine control scheme includes monitoring engine operation to determine a mass of intake air into a cylinder, referred to as a cylinder air charge, and controlling engine operating parameters including fueling and spark timing in response thereto to achieve preferred targets for the engine operating parameters.
Monitoring engine operation includes monitoring engine operating states that may be used to calculate, estimate or otherwise determine states of engine operating parameters including, e.g., in-cylinder pressure, engine torque, specific fuel consumption, and air/fuel ratio.
In-cylinder pressure sensors coupled to signal processing devices are used during ongoing engine operation to monitor in-cylinder pressures for individual cylinders. Known engine control schemes use the monitored in-cylinder pressures for individual cylinders to control engine control parameters including, e.g., spark timing, fuel injection timing, and EGR mass flowrate.